Doctoral/ProfessionalPrivate (nonprofit)HSI

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Ponce

Ponce, Puerto Rico·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Outlying Areas·pucpr.edu

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce's acceptance rate is 98.1% (2024). Its six-year graduation rate is 49% and its four-year rate is 19% (2024). Tuition and fees are $6,650 (2024). Fall enrollment is 5,568 students, and 5,959 enrolled over the full 12-month year (2024). Source: IPEDS.

Acceptance
98.1%
+14.7pp vs Doctoral/Professional
6-yr graduation
49%
-6.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Total enrollment
5,568
peer median 5,292
Avg net price
$13,192
-$1.0k vs Doctoral/Professional
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersCampuses

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
2,817
2,817 candidates competed
Admitted
2,763
98.1% acceptance rate
Enrolled
885
32.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
49%
4-year graduation
19%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
49%-6.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Full-time retention
83%

Pell equity

12.4pp gap
Pell recipients
47%487 of 1033
Non-Pell (all)
59%82 of 138
Subsidized loan, no Pell
46%18 of 39
No Federal Aid
65%64 of 99

Non-Pell students graduate at a 12.4-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 118 Title IV programs, 21 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 97 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
118
Passing
21
17.8% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

118programs
  • Passing21 · 17.8%
  • No Data97 · 82.2%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
20
No data
97

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

21
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+19.5%
$19,099 vs $15,979
Physiology Pathology and Related Sciences
Associate Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+26.3%
$20,189 vs $15,979
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+39.9%
$22,355 vs $15,979
Criminology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+43.7%
$22,958 vs $15,979
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+46.1%
$23,351 vs $15,979
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+50.4%
$24,028 vs $15,979
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+50.9%
$24,118 vs $15,979
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+52.8%
$24,412 vs $15,979

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

21
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Doctoral Degree · Psychology
307%
$101,833 debt · $33,204 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
291%
$115,357 debt · $39,634 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
142%
$49,656 debt · $34,941 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
86%
$20,688 debt · $24,028 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
84%
$16,000 debt · $19,099 earn
Architecture
Bachelor Degree · Architecture And Related Services
73%
$33,345 debt · $45,710 earn
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
72%
$16,000 debt · $22,355 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
62%
$17,625 debt · $28,523 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1953Next review Jan 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 11

  1. Aug 2025Removal of Monitoring Status
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  2. May 2025Removal of Monitoring Status
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  3. Jun 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  4. May 2023Probation or Equivalent or More Severe Status: Monitoring
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  5. Aug 2022Probation or Equivalent or More Severe Status: Monitoring
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$12,384
$30–48k$13,341
$48–75k$15,812
$75–110k$18,329
$110k+$20,122

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$13,192
-$1,020vs Doctoral/Professional median $14,212
Federal loans
30.2%
Tuition and fees
$6,650

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 4,242 students received $28.2M in Pell grants, alongside $45.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,242
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$28.2M
$28,162,328 total
Direct Loans
$45.7M
4,507 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

5k
’20
5k
’21
4k
’22
4k
’23
4k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$6.3M
1,535 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.8M
698 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$26.1M
1,671 loan awards
Parent PLUS$133K
11 loan awards
Grad PLUS$10.4M
592 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 2,188 borrowers who entered repayment, 100 (4.5%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
4.5%
+2.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,188
Defaulted
100
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
11.8%
2017
15.7%
2018
12.9%
2019
4.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs93
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

897 total completions
01Biological Sciences
17719.7%
02Legal Professions
17519.5%
03Health Professions
16518.4%
04Psychology
899.9%
05Business
879.7%
06Visual/Performing Arts
485.4%
07Liberal Arts
455.0%
08Education
424.7%
09Social Sciences
404.5%
10Public Admin
293.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
5,568
12-mo unduplicated
5,959
Undergraduate
4,273
Graduate
1,686

Gender split

Men
35%2,082
Women
65%3,877

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
99.6%
Non-resident
0.3%
Unknown
0.1%
White
0.0%
Asian
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
246
121 M · 125 W
Women athletes
50.8%
Athletic aid
$635K
Total student aid
Budget
$1.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$317K
$276K
Recruiting expense
$0
$0
Head-coach salaries
$3K
$3K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
20 M · 17 W
$132K
Soccer
19 M · 16 W
$78K
Volleyball
14 M · 15 W
$98K
Basketball
14 M · 15 W
$124K
Other Sports
10 M · 11 W
$142K
Baseball
21 M · —
$49K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 5,562 students

3-year trend

0.162 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
1
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    IPEDS
    Student-to-faculty
    16.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    190

    Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    6-yr gradRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectPontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
    		49%98.1%5,568$13,192Doctoral/Professional
    Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus
    		31%Open admission9,909$7,051Doctoral/Professional
    Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
    		54%93.8%640$11,117Doctoral/Professional
    The University of Findlay
    		58%83.4%5,016$27,221Doctoral/Professional
    University of Detroit Mercy
    		67%75.4%5,587$15,232Doctoral/Professional
    University of Indianapolis
    		56%66.5%5,000$21,602Doctoral/Professional
    Peer group median55%83.4%5,292$14,212

    Institutions like Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce's comparison group.

    IPEDS
    • Doctoral/ProfessionalPuerto Rico

      Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus

      Grad rate
      31%
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      9,909
      Net price
      $7,051
    • Doctoral/ProfessionalPuerto Rico

      Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

      Grad rate
      54%
      Admit rate
      93.8%
      Enrollment
      640
      Net price
      $11,117
    • Doctoral/ProfessionalOhio

      The University of Findlay

      Grad rate
      58%
      Admit rate
      83.4%
      Enrollment
      5,016
      Net price
      $27,221
    • Doctoral/ProfessionalMichigan

      University of Detroit Mercy

      Grad rate
      67%
      Admit rate
      75.4%
      Enrollment
      5,587
      Net price
      $15,232
    • Doctoral/ProfessionalIndiana

      University of Indianapolis

      Grad rate
      56%
      Admit rate
      66.5%
      Enrollment
      5,000
      Net price
      $21,602

    Campuses

    The 2 campuses that make up Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce.

    IPEDS

    Frequently asked questions about Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce.

    What is the acceptance rate at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?

    Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce's acceptance rate is 98.1% (2,763 admitted from 2,817 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

    What is the graduation rate at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?

    Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce's six-year graduation rate is 49% and its four-year rate is 19%, per 2024 IPEDS data.

    How many students attend Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?

    Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce reports a total enrollment of 5,568 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?

    The average net price at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is $13,192 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce?

    Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce's yield rate is 32.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce located?

    Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce is located in Ponce, Puerto Rico 00717-9997.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    U.S. Department of Education
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    U.S. Department of Education
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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